Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas.
Chapter 3: Padlocks
Two little Elven children ran, one chasing the other. " You'll never catch me, Arianna!" the little blonde Elf called to the brown haired one. Arianna giggled and gave chase to Legolas. She tackled him and they began to wrestle. Two strong male voices could be heard arguing over the childrens' laughter. Then a strong pair of arms grabbed Arianna's little waist and pulled her roughly off the ground, away from her best friend. The man who held her began to yell at another man, who'd scooped Legolas off of the ground. Arianna didn't understand. She tried to leap from her father's arms. She wanted to play, but he snatched her back and reprimanded her. The two grown men yelled a final word and stormed off in opposite directions. Arianna stared over her father's shoulder at her best friend becoming further and further away. Tears flowed down her face as she had the distinct feeling that she'd never see him again.
Arianna woke to someone shaking her roughly. She sat up to greet, rather reluctantly, a damp gray early morning, her eyes blurred with tears brought by the dream. Arianna brushed them away quickly, ashamed of herself, for crying did no good. "Awww, poor Elf." The man who'd shaken her awake said sarcastically. Arianna counted to 3 mentally. 1.... " Why are you crying? Big bad men to scary for you?" 2.... " Or is she crying because of what we did to Princy?" 3... This last remark from the man distracted Arianna from the kick she was about to aim at his face, and she looked over at Legolas. Her knees went weak and she gasped at the sight that met her eyes. She was angry. Legolas sat slumped against a tree, his face covered in small bruises, his hair dishevelled, and a bright red mark across his cheek, but his shocking blue eyes still shone defiantly. Arianna trembled with fury at what they had done to her friend, but before she could lash out, she was reminded that her hands and feet were still bound when a man tripped her. "What did you do to him?!" she yelled from the ground. " Aww is elfy in love?" the mand taunted her. " No, you idiot." Arianna retorted. " I am not an idiot you disgusting creature." The man put his foot on her back and held her face-down in the dirt. Arianna lifted her head, her green eyes livid. " At least we respect all creatures." she spat. " Yes, even you, you slimy gross-" The lead man emerged from his tent and kicked her in the side. Arianna squirmed beneath the other man's foot, gasping for breath. " You'll not insult us, Elf. Understand?" the lead man bent down. " Who are you?" Arianna growled. " To think you can treat us like this!" " My name is Girnash. And yours?" Arianna remained silent and Girnash stood. " Tut tut. I thought Elves had better manners. Remember, you better get the Prince to talk." "What is he supposed to say, huh?" "We'll check with you every night. If we hear what we want, you'll live." Girnash cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted to the others. "Let's get moving! Borkosh, you take thePrince, Jemish, you take the girl." A burly man with black hair ( Jemish apparantly) yanked Arianna to her feet. She saw Borkosh, a dirty blonde man, pull a weary Legolasto his feet. Apparantly, the marks all over him were from his refusing to talk earlier in the morning.
Legolas and Arianna were forced to walk endlessly until the sun had been high in the sky for hours. Arianna had know idea where they were or wear they were going. They hadn't been given anyting to drink or eat and the effects were now showing on both Elves. Arianna had become quiet, slow footed, and blurry-eyed; Legolas's eyes seemed glazed, his head was hanging, and he stumbled constantly. The men didn't help the situation at all. They pushed Arianna and Legolas every time they so much as slowed to catch their breath. A few hours later the men called a halt. Arianna looke up wearliy to see the front gates of a dingy dirty town. A man at the top of the gates in a crumbling watch tower smiled a nearly toothless grin that wasn't at all friendly when his eyes landed on the two bruised and battered Elves. "Well well Girnash! What've you got there?" he called down casually. " Business. Now let us in." Girnash called to the man. The toothless man looked disgruntled, but turned the handle, cranking the large rotting wooden doors open. Arianna and Legolas were steered to a small wooden shack with a padlock on it. Girnash took out a small key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed the two Elves inside without a word. Arianna tiredly sank to the ground, letting the darkness envelope her. The clinking of metal could be heard from outside and both Legolas and Arianna knew they were locked in. But neither could begin to guess what was in store for them.
Chapter 3: Padlocks
Two little Elven children ran, one chasing the other. " You'll never catch me, Arianna!" the little blonde Elf called to the brown haired one. Arianna giggled and gave chase to Legolas. She tackled him and they began to wrestle. Two strong male voices could be heard arguing over the childrens' laughter. Then a strong pair of arms grabbed Arianna's little waist and pulled her roughly off the ground, away from her best friend. The man who held her began to yell at another man, who'd scooped Legolas off of the ground. Arianna didn't understand. She tried to leap from her father's arms. She wanted to play, but he snatched her back and reprimanded her. The two grown men yelled a final word and stormed off in opposite directions. Arianna stared over her father's shoulder at her best friend becoming further and further away. Tears flowed down her face as she had the distinct feeling that she'd never see him again.
Arianna woke to someone shaking her roughly. She sat up to greet, rather reluctantly, a damp gray early morning, her eyes blurred with tears brought by the dream. Arianna brushed them away quickly, ashamed of herself, for crying did no good. "Awww, poor Elf." The man who'd shaken her awake said sarcastically. Arianna counted to 3 mentally. 1.... " Why are you crying? Big bad men to scary for you?" 2.... " Or is she crying because of what we did to Princy?" 3... This last remark from the man distracted Arianna from the kick she was about to aim at his face, and she looked over at Legolas. Her knees went weak and she gasped at the sight that met her eyes. She was angry. Legolas sat slumped against a tree, his face covered in small bruises, his hair dishevelled, and a bright red mark across his cheek, but his shocking blue eyes still shone defiantly. Arianna trembled with fury at what they had done to her friend, but before she could lash out, she was reminded that her hands and feet were still bound when a man tripped her. "What did you do to him?!" she yelled from the ground. " Aww is elfy in love?" the mand taunted her. " No, you idiot." Arianna retorted. " I am not an idiot you disgusting creature." The man put his foot on her back and held her face-down in the dirt. Arianna lifted her head, her green eyes livid. " At least we respect all creatures." she spat. " Yes, even you, you slimy gross-" The lead man emerged from his tent and kicked her in the side. Arianna squirmed beneath the other man's foot, gasping for breath. " You'll not insult us, Elf. Understand?" the lead man bent down. " Who are you?" Arianna growled. " To think you can treat us like this!" " My name is Girnash. And yours?" Arianna remained silent and Girnash stood. " Tut tut. I thought Elves had better manners. Remember, you better get the Prince to talk." "What is he supposed to say, huh?" "We'll check with you every night. If we hear what we want, you'll live." Girnash cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted to the others. "Let's get moving! Borkosh, you take thePrince, Jemish, you take the girl." A burly man with black hair ( Jemish apparantly) yanked Arianna to her feet. She saw Borkosh, a dirty blonde man, pull a weary Legolasto his feet. Apparantly, the marks all over him were from his refusing to talk earlier in the morning.
Legolas and Arianna were forced to walk endlessly until the sun had been high in the sky for hours. Arianna had know idea where they were or wear they were going. They hadn't been given anyting to drink or eat and the effects were now showing on both Elves. Arianna had become quiet, slow footed, and blurry-eyed; Legolas's eyes seemed glazed, his head was hanging, and he stumbled constantly. The men didn't help the situation at all. They pushed Arianna and Legolas every time they so much as slowed to catch their breath. A few hours later the men called a halt. Arianna looke up wearliy to see the front gates of a dingy dirty town. A man at the top of the gates in a crumbling watch tower smiled a nearly toothless grin that wasn't at all friendly when his eyes landed on the two bruised and battered Elves. "Well well Girnash! What've you got there?" he called down casually. " Business. Now let us in." Girnash called to the man. The toothless man looked disgruntled, but turned the handle, cranking the large rotting wooden doors open. Arianna and Legolas were steered to a small wooden shack with a padlock on it. Girnash took out a small key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed the two Elves inside without a word. Arianna tiredly sank to the ground, letting the darkness envelope her. The clinking of metal could be heard from outside and both Legolas and Arianna knew they were locked in. But neither could begin to guess what was in store for them.